1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a read-write device for interfacing with a smart card, and more particularly, to the structure and positioning of such a read-write device on a housing that can dispense items of value.
2. Description of Related Art
Various forms of kiosks, money exchanging devices, ticket dispensers, etc., have been commonly used to facilitate the electronic transfer of funds associated with a value medium dispensing device which can dispense a predetermined medium corresponding to a received value information. Such an exchanging device which discriminates value information that has been memorized, for example, on a smart card (non-contact type IC card) through a communicating device and dispenses a value medium corresponds to the discriminated value. In this regard, the term “value information” is a generic term which can be referred to as money, point system, etc. “Value medium” is a generic term which can be a source of barter or exchange and converted into money, tokens, goods, etc.
Such exchanging devices which will dispense a value medium based on value information is known in the art. Examples of exchanging devices can be found, for example, in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application 9-180022. An exchange device can include a banknote slot, a coin slot, a dispensing unit which dispenses the value medium corresponding to the value information, and a receiving slot for receiving the dispensed value medium. When transactions are completed by using a smart card, usually the smart card includes an IC memory which will memorize and store the value information and is capable of communicating that information in a secured manner without contact. Generally, the smart card can be placed at a particular location and can be polled to broadcast the contents of the smart card and can be further refreshed to update or subtract value information stored in the smart card.
Frequently problems can occur in electronically interfacing with a smart card. For example, an embedded antenna within the smart card can communicate by an electromagnetic wave, and if a magnetic material is placed near the antenna, the effect of the electromagnetic waves can be reduced or absorbed. While it is frequently desired to utilize a metal case for security purposes for storing the value medium, if an antenna is normally attached to such an exterior metal case housing, communication with the smart card may be interfered with.
An example of a location of an antenna on a dais is shown, for example, in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application 11-353427. Increasing the setup area, however, reduces the effective height of the exchanging device and the capability of storing value medium.
This, there is a desire in the prior art to improve the structure and location of a read/write device that will electronically interface, for example, with a user smart card and the manner in which it is located and utilized on a value medium exchanging device.